Mount Hakodate
函館山
From the 334-meter summit you can overlook Hakodate, a city fanned out between two bays. Known as the “Million Dollar Night View,” it is one of Japan's three great night views.
Mount Hakodate lies at the southwest end of Hakodate City and rises 334 meters. From the observation deck at the summit, you can see the city's distinctive shape, which extends like an hourglass into the Tsugaru Strait, with dark bays on either side and bright lights in between. Together with Kobe and Nagasaki, it is ranked among Japan's three great night views, and it is often listed among the world's three great night views. The best time to visit is 30 minutes before sunset, so you can shoot photos from dusk into night. The whole visit takes about an hour. Sunset in April is around 18:00, in October around 17:00, and in December around 16:00. There are two ways up. One is the Mount Hakodate Ropeway, which costs about ¥1,800 round trip and takes 3 minutes to reach the top, with the last ride around 21:00 from October to late April. The other is the Mount Hakodate mountain bus, which runs from late April to mid-November, takes about 30 minutes from Hakodate Station and costs about ¥500 one way. Private cars are not allowed on the mountain road at night. At the foot of the mountain is the Motomachi historic district, with Hachimangaka slope, the former Hakodate Public Hall and a cluster of churches. You can explore Motomachi in the afternoon, then head up the mountain, and afterward have dinner at the Kanemori Red Brick Warehouse. The next morning, visit the Hakodate Morning Market for seafood bowls. To get there, take the streetcar from Hakodate Station to Juji-gai, then walk 10 minutes to the ropeway base station. Note: the summit is windy and more than 5 degrees colder than the city. In peak season the observation deck is crowded with tour groups, so claim your spot early. If fog covers the summit, check the ropeway's live webcam on the official website before deciding whether to go up that afternoon.
Opening hours
Cable car 10:00–22:00 (until 21:00 from mid-Oct to late Apr)
Nearby sights
- Old Public Hall of Hakodate Ward
- Hakodate Orthodox Church
- Hachiman-zaka Slope
- Former British Consulate of Hakodate
- Motomachi Catholic Church
- Lucky Pierrot Bay Area Main Store
- Kanemori Red Brick Warehouse
- Hakodate Meiji-kan